Thursday, October 30, 2008

Kareena is shooting for a TV commercial and she looks like a million bucks. On spotting you , she says, "Come. Let's settle down for a chat." Kareena Kapoor (TOI Photo)

Excerpts from the interview:

You look far calmer these days; quite unlike the restless Kareena we all knew a few years ago. I was a child then.

Is it the Saif effect? Of course, it is. Also, experiences have made me stronger.

Like? I mean whatever I have gone through in my personal and professional life. I’m a stronger girl now, far more at ease with myself than I was earlier. I’m doing things, which I want to.

You have moved on in your personal life. Was it difficult parting with Shahid? Yes, it was a very difficult period. Whatever went wrong between Shahid and me is very personal. I have always maintained that Shahid will always be part of my life. But, we are better off as friends. There is no animosity.

On hindsight, do you think you could have done something to save the relationship? Sometimes there are no reasons for things which happen in life. Even if there’s one, I don't think it’s right to talk about it openly.

Did it take time for your family to absorb the fact that you were in love with Saif? No, I don't think so. My mother is cool about it. And Karisma and Saif get along like a house on fire.

How is Saif as a partner? He is fun and extremely loyal. He has all the qualities which I always wanted in a man.

Is he very possessive? There were stories that he was upset with your dress at the IIFA awards and also when you gave a peck on the cheek to Sylvester Stallone? Saif is very supportive. He gives me space. All those stories were false.

You get along well with his two children, Sara and Ibrahim? Both his kids are very loving. They are like Samaira (Karisma's daughter) to me.

Are you in touch with Shahid? Oh yes. I message him and he messages me.

What about marriage with Saif? Way in the future.

Way in the future? Not in the near future? (Laughs) Yes, it's in the future definitely, but not for the next two-three years. But, we want to be together.

You value marriage. You helped Karisma reconcile with her husband Sanjay? Contrary to what people believe, I am a very homely girl. I am always there for those who are there for me. Frankly, I am nobody to help somebody with their marriage. But as a sister, I can only offer support and advice. It has worked.

You lost out on Dostana and Dilli 6 because Abhishek didn't want to work with you? Firstly, there was no fight with Abhishek. He has decided not to work with me and I have decided the same.

From an actor to a producer, from an IPL cricket team owner to now a property baron, SRK is continuously tring out new frontiers to conquer. The actor is now involved in a Dh8 billion (US$2.18bn) residential development on Dana Islands in Ras al Khaimah, Dubai.

When asked if he regretted his decision of turning into a property developer in the UAE, considering the dismal economic climate, Khan said he was optimistic about the scenario. Said the King Khan, "'Yes, the timing was a bit off. But I am positive that it would turn all around. And honestly, the global recession has not touched us as yet. In my opinion, recession is not going to take people away from their homes or their decision to buy one." Well here's hoping that this prophecy comes true.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Diwali means festival of lights and joy. Diwali also means welcoming the Goddess of money, Laxmi to our homes. So Diwali also has a lot to do with money and monetary gains. That makes up discuss the monetary gains of our film celebrities.

Bollywood, no longer, is an industry that plays in lakhs. The gamble has grown bigger. Today they talk in multiples of crores. That’s the budget of our films and a major part of which is constituted by the star remunerations.

Remunerations decide who is ruling the industry and how. Today we talk about the top actors as per their market value. Akshay Kumar In the last couple of years, Akshay Kumar has overtaken Shah Rukh Khan when it comes to gaining the Number 1 position.

With a constant spate of hits like Namastey London, Heyy Babyy, Bhool Bhulaiyya, Welcome and Singh is Kinng, Akshay Kumar is the most coveted actor in Bollywood today.

From his earlier choice of directors like Suneel Darshan, Dharmesh Darshan and Raj Kanwar, Akshay has also graduated to more sensible directors like Vipul Shah, Anees Bazmee and Priyadarshan. He even surged past SRK on the small screen when he charged Rs 1.5 crore per episode for Fear Factor which was higher that SRK’s fees for Kya Aap Panchvi Paas Se Tez Hai .

Akshay has also gained a strong fan-following in the international arena, something which only Shah Rukh boasted of earlier.

When Shah Rukh Khan tells you that he invests his money in ICICI bank, you would like to believe him. And most people do. So it was not surprising when the bank roped in their brand ambassador to save their faces in a crisis.

With rumours floating that ICICI bank is on the verge of a financial collapse, their stock value began to drop drastically and investors began pulling out their money to prepare for a bailout. That's when King Khan stepped in. He might be busy jostling between hectic shooting schedules for his forthcoming films Billo Barber and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi but that didn't stop him from squeezing time to shoot for an ad for ICICI bank, a brand that he has been endorsing for sometime now. Shah Rukh Khan is one actor who has been endorsing the same products for years. Be it Santro, Tag Hueur, Videocon, Dish TV, Sunfeast or Pepsi, SRK has been the face of all these brands since the day he first signed the deal.

Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar says, “Apart from being available and popular, what works to rope in Shahrukh Khan as an ambassador is his creative inclination. He always provides advice and insight to make the promotion better. His creative involvement in the ad campaign is one more aspect that makes him the most wanted endorser.”

On his brand association, SRK was once quoted as saying, “I can't endorse a whole lot of products. Whatever I am or have been endorsing, I have been associated with it for years and they are like family.” No wonder then, that the star took time out to shoot an ad for the bank. Truly, brand ambassador ho toh aisa!

Who says acting is easy and actors have the world in their hands.Traveling from one place to another for long outdoor shoots can take a toll and facing the heat is Katrina Kaif. Kats' is currently shooting in New York with John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh for Kabir Khan's film, produced by Yashraj.

The tight schedule has kept her away from home for over two months. She then had to fly out to Dubai for a day to join SRK and Kareena Kapoor for the Temptations Reloaded tour. "I am feeling homesick," she said. Katrina recalls the time her pretty sister Isabelle had come down to town to spend some quality time with her. "Isabelle was on a vacation. She flew down here to spend sometime with me. I miss my family a lot. I miss my home.

But what to do my professional commitments keep me busy. I am glad that my family flies down to meet me whenever they can." But the biggest celebration that Katrina looks forward to is the family reunion during Christmas. "I am trying my best to see if we can all be together." Katrina adds, "I hope no professional work comes up then. I have kept my fingers crossed from now."

Away from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai city, Vidya Balan is communing with nature on the sets of Vishal Bharadwaj's next. Unlike most actors who prefer to shoot in the city, Vidya is having a wonderful time shooting in Wai.

While most actresses who like to remain holed up in their vans in between shoots,Vidya prefers the outdoors. And since she is shooting in picture pretty Wai, the actress prefers to spend time breathing in the fresh air.

A unit member revealed, "Vidya loves to be in a natural environment. She enjoys nature walks in between shots. She'd rather sit in the greenery and soak in its beauty than be stuck in the van. Vidya finds the entire experience to be meditative and absolutely soothing."

Even when not shooting, Vidya doesn't idle away her time! "Vidya goes for these long walks on the roads of Wai. So if you spot someone in tracksuits with an ipod and speakers hooked into her ears, walking away briskly, you know who it is," laughs the unit member. Viday'sstaff does accompany for her brisk walks. "We cannot take any risks. What if she gets mobbed," says a staff member.

It was the same routine for Vidya in Canada, when she was shooting for Kismat Konnection.Vidya said, "I would drag my designer Shabina Khan for long walks and if she would ditch me, I would walk upto the waterfront and just enjoy myself. But I do need my i-pod and the one track that I hear the most is Mitwa from Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna..."

Saturday, October 25, 2008

A professional model and an actress, Shama Sikander started out with some movies and TV shows, the actress has even made her presence felt when she’s walked the ramp for Ritu Kumar, Shaina NA, Nisha Jamwal and Neeta Lulla. Below are couple of her High Quality photos as Shama shows her wonderful legs in a photoshoot and a magazine scan.

At the Lakme Fashion week 2008, Designer Anuj Sharma presented a stark collection of outfits highlighted by eyelet bordering and close to no sewing with models walking the ramp barefoot. After a long time i have noticed a fashion show with models walking the ramp barefoot. Even in ramp shows showcasing traditional wear, this is not the scene these days so to see models barefeet on a western outfit showcase show is a treat.A low quality version of photos. (Higher quality photos will be posted later)

Actor Katrina Kaif may be in Philadelphia at the moment, but we get to learn some wonderful things about the girl from friends back home. Apparently, the girl tried on over 200 gowns when she flew down to Delhi last. Were they wedding gowns?

Naah! Kat went all the way to Delhi to spend an entire day with designers Gauri and Nainika, and tried over 200 gowns for her role in Subhash Ghai's Yuvraaj . Her look in the film can best be described as classic and regal, so much so that her dress code included empire line waistlines and Grecian gowns! Of course every gown gave a different effect, and Kat was keen to zero in on her costumes way in advance. It looks like the effort has paid off!

It can be remembered that for a song in Singh Is Kinng , the actor had flown all the way to Dubai to shop for a dress she thought would be 'perfect'. And producer Vipul Shah was thrilled at her enthusiasm. It's another thing altogether that Sallu had co-incidently taken off to Dubai, too. But what's the harm in mixing some business with pleasure, huh?

Wrong! After Karan Johar’s Dostana next month, it’s going to be Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham. The two hunks, according to the buzz from the film’s sets on Miami’s sunny beaches, share such a terrific chemistry... that audiences are going to wonder. Check out this rumble-tumble they’re indulging in and decide, is there a vibe between them? For sure! John, of course, is the international gay’s fantasy. And Abhishek is fast getting there with his switchover from dark-and-brooding to naughty-and-mischievous. Apparently, John and Abhishek had no hesitation about putting their leading hero and straight images on hold for the time being and playing gay with conviction on screen. Union Health Minister Ambumani Ramadoss, who was all for changing the law that makes homosexuality a crime in India, will be delighted. Karan, who’s always pushed the romantic genre and taken it to higher levels in cinema, admits that he’s experimented with the gay theme. “But not in an offensive way,” said the director, “this is not Brokeback Mountain, you understand, but it’s also not the same triangle with a train, plane or automobile climax and somebody rushing to stop someone from going away. Our audiences are more ready than filmmakers for new formats and path-breaking films.

Ten years ago, who would have thought A Wednesday would pack in multiplexes or a Taare Zameen Par would do multi-crore business? They would be parallel cinema. Today they are mainstream.” Agreed. Times are a-changing and kuch kuch hota hai in Bollywood!

Buzz is that sexy Shriya has fallen in love. According to Bollywood press, she is currently dating Hollywood hero Jesse with whom she has acted in a Hollywood film - The Other End Of The Line. During the shoot, Shriya is said to have fallen for the charms of Jesse.

This is current hot gossip doing the rounds in Mumbai. It remains to be seen whether it is movie promotion or the real news. It is normal practice in Hollywood and Bollywood to link the lead actors before a film releases so that media creates buzz which helps the film getting good openings.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Shahid Kapoor surprised his favourite designer and friend Shabina Khan on her birthday recently by throwing a party a day in advance.Shahid knew that he would not be able to wish her personally on that day as he was shooting, so he organised a surprise party for her in advance. Shahid invited the entire cast and crew of Kismat Konnection for the bash. Shabina says, “Shahid danced for four hours non-stop. This was the most unforgettable birthday ever.”

The bubbly and beautiful Preity Zinta is one of the few actresses who have worked with all the hottest Khans in B-town. Just a few days away from the release of her flick, Heroes, where she is romantically paired opposite Salman Khan, she chats up with Indiatimes Movies and reveals all that there is about her and the Khans! While she rates all the four Khans - Shahrukh, Salman, Aamir and Saif, extremely high on their ‘sex appeal’, there are a few things that are different and unique about each one of them and Preity spills all the beans here

Shahrukh Khan: He is extremely witty and his humour is instant. You start a conversation with him and he is quick to retort in the wittiest way possible, like a skilled repartee.

Salman Khan: Salman has a very Indian style to his humour. He has no expression on his face when he is cracking a joke. Is very straight faced even when he is funny and that sometimes confuses you.

Aamir Khan: We all know that Aamir is a perfectionist and whatever he does, he does it with passion. And the same holds true when he is cracking a joke too. “Aamir is seriously funny when it comes to humour,” reveals the actress.

Saif Ali Khan: Saif’s humorous side has a very Brit style to it. He is very dry and stiff even when funny. One can rarely make out if Saif is just making a plain statement or means something funny. Perhaps, this aspect has to do with the London-England upbringing of the star.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

This sexy Bengali actress is the daughter of the famous Nobel prize winning economist and author "Amratya Sen". The hot photo-shoot below is from the "The Man" magazine with Nandana in sexy traditional wear.

Prianca Sharma was on of the contestants on the popular MTV reality TV show, MTV Splitsvilla. Before being on the show, Prianca had appeared for the Miss Maxim India contest which she won. She then went on to win the Miss maxim Asia Crown.